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Film Noir. 100 All-Time Favorites

An essential introduction to the seductive and cinematic delights of film noir.

As a young boy just hitting my teens I picked up a copy of the book The Modern Horror Film by John McCarthy. Within its pages I found all the gory and terrifying delights offered by the likes of Hammer, Hitchcock and Romero, which opened the doors to a previously forbidden world and kickstarted a life-long obsession in horror film. This book remains a well-read and cherished addition to my bookshelf and I predict the same is about to happen for those starting on their journey into film noir thanks to TASCHEN’s excellent new book Film Noir. 100 All-Time Favorites.

Indeed, i’ve long been seduced by the femme fatales, downtrodden detectives and general wrongdoings that are the staples of a good film noir, and can vouch for the broad selection that Paul Duncan and Jürgen Müller have put together for us. Titles ranging from the earliest example of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to the definitive Double Indemnity, and modern neo-noir films such as Blade Runner, Heat and Drive attest to the enduring appeal of this style of film making. It’s near 700 pages are packed to the brim with high quality photographs, in-depth essays, film posters and introductions to each of these essential films, as well as a detailed look at the origins and influences of film noir from french and german cinema.

It’s one of the most complete books on the subject i’ve seen, and if you have even the remotest interest in classic cinema and not yet delved into these black, white and grey worlds, I urge you to grab a copy. Some of the finest moments in film awaits; jewels that might otherwise be overlooked when having to decide upon the which TV show or box-set to start next. 100 true classics, carefully collected and beautifully presented to make your job of finding them that much easier.